The Bishop is of the highest ranking but his rank is less of authority and more of honour and is characterized as “first among equals”. So there are three main orders in the Orthodoxy Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons and the two minor orders are Subdeacon and Reader.
Who is the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church?
The Greek Orthodox Church is led by an ecumenical patriarch, currently Bartholomew I of Constantinople . Underneath him are archbishops, such as Elpidophoros, that oversee entire nations.
What is the hierarchy in the Orthodox Church?
The Orthodox Church is decentralised, having no central authority, earthly head or a single Bishop in a leadership role. Thus, the Orthodox Church uses a synodical system canonically, which is significantly different from the hierarchically organised Catholic Church that follows the doctrine of papal supremacy.
The church has no central doctrinal or governmental authority analogous to the bishop of Rome (Pope), but the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople is recognised by all bishops as primus inter pares (“first among equals”) and regarded as the representative and spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians.
Are there divisions in the Orthodox Church?
So there is potential for serious conflict, not least because Ukraine’s Orthodox believers are divided among three Churches : the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), the Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate and the small Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC).
What are the 15 Orthodox churches?
- Church of Constantinople (ancient)
- Church of Alexandria (ancient)
- Church of Antioch (ancient)
- Church of Jerusalem (ancient)
- Church of Russia (established in 1589)
- Church of Serbia (1219)
- Church of Romania (1925)
- Church of Bulgaria (927)
How is Orthodox different from Christianity?
Orthodox: Conforming to approved doctrine. Christian: Follower Of Christ . To love God and obey his commandments while creating a relationship with Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel so that others may also be saved. To gain Eternal Salvation.
Is Orthodox older than Catholic?
Therefore the Catholic Church is the oldest of all . The Orthodox represents the original Christian Church because they trace their bishops back to the five early patriarchates of Rome, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Constantinople and Antioch.
What do you call a Greek Orthodox priest?
Modern usage. The Eastern Orthodox Church often refers to presbyters in English as priests (priest is etymologically derived from the Greek presbyteros via the Latin presbyter). ... Priests are often styled as the Reverend (Rev.) and therefore referred to as the Reverend Father (Rev. Fr.).
Is Greek Orthodox the same as Greek Catholic?
Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox believers both believe in the same God . ... Roman Catholic priests cannot marry, while priests in the Greek Orthodox can marry before they are ordained. 5. Latin is the main language used during Roman Catholic services, while Greek Orthodox churches use native languages.
Which religion is Orthodox?
Orthodox, (from Greek orthodoxos, “of the right opinion”), true doctrine and its adherents as opposed to heterodox or heretical doctrines and their adherents. The word was first used in early 4th-century Christianity by the Greek Fathers.
Can Orthodox priests marry?
Under Orthodox rules, a celibate priest cannot marry after ordination , and a non-celibate priest cannot remarry and remain a priest, even if his wife dies, he said. Widowers who remain celibate can become bishops, but that’s happened just once.
Can a Greek Orthodox marry a Catholic?
Most Orthodox Churches allow marriages between members of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church . ... Because the Catholic Church respects their celebration of the Mass as a true sacrament, intercommunion with the Eastern Orthodox in “suitable circumstances and with Church authority” is both possible and encouraged.
Is Greek Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox the same?
Historically, the term “Greek Orthodox” has been used to describe all Eastern Orthodox churches in general, since the term “Greek” can refer to the heritage of the Byzantine Empire. ... Thus, Eastern Orthodox came to be called “Greek” Orthodox in the same way that the Western Christians came to be called “Roman” Catholic.
Why are Catholic and Orthodox Easter different?
Why Is The Orthodox Easter Date Different? The Orthodox Easter always falls later than the Catholic one as it is calculated using the same formula , but using the Julian Calendar (as we said above, this is currently 13 days behind the commonly used Gregorian).
Why did the Orthodox Church split from the Catholic Church?
The Great Schism came about due to a complex mix of religious disagreements and political conflicts . One of the many religious disagreements between the western (Roman) and eastern (Byzantine) branches of the church had to do with whether or not it was acceptable to use unleavened bread for the sacrament of communion.
